Ava Max : Lovin Myself Review

by Shannon Smith

Ava Max’s single “Lovin Myself” is tailored to integrate into your pop listening patterns. From the very first breathy coo, Ava Max’s “Lovin Myself” draws you into a glittering affirmation of personal power with equal parts synth-pop strut and engaging vocal phrasing. It’s bold, beat-driven, and brimming with finesse and pop intelligence. Underneath the neon sheen lies a well-crafted pop song.

Max’s performance walks a thrilling tightrope between vocal muscle and vulnerability. Her technique shines its range and how she maneuvers between chest and head voice, with each transition being polished and purposeful. Elongated melodic lines sweep across the chorus, while under-the-breath moans and mid-phrase exhalations sneak in like sonic signatures. These stylistic choices are movement creators, pushing the groove forward and injecting Max’s personality into the high-energy production.

Written by Kyle Buckley, Lita Caputo, and Scott Harris, the melody architecture balances two complementary forces: flowing, legato storytelling and rhythmic, chant-like refrains. That “Nobody, nobody…” motif is textbook earworm, yet it’s counterbalanced by rising phrases that feel sung rather than chanted. Lyrically, the track is a rebirth narrative wrapped in rhinestones: “Heartbreak survivor, feeling lighter… I give myself butterflies.” There’s no subtext here, just a front-facing, Billboard-ready declaration of post-heartache triumph. And yet, Max sells it not through lyrical surprise, but through emotional commitment and a delivery.

Produced by PinkSlip (Buckley), the track pulses with warm synths, gated drums, and that unmistakable vintage shimmer of the eighties. The textures have bite, and the mix gives Ava ample room to soar. The bass drum locks in just as the synths swell; the drop hits with a call-and-response between exotic synth lines and vocal acrobatics. The blend of nostalgia and polish positions the track cleanly in the Don’t Click Play aesthetic: assertive, slightly cheeky, and wholly in command of its pop identity.

Still, for all the glitz, a bigger climactic lift in the final third of the song would have been nice. The outro simmers where a true apex could’ve roared. It’s a missed opportunity for a bridge or final chorus variation that might’ve cemented the emotional arc with an exclamation mark.

Max is aligning with the affirming energy of this single, she reframes vulnerability as showmanship, an evolution that is of note. This isn’t a comeback. It’s a controlled pivot, and a well-executed one. It can be heard in the shading of those whispered catch-breaths and moans; they’re phrasing glue. Ava builds tension with pitch and airflow.

The song nails its theme early and revisits it through well-placed lyrical signposts (“Fashion Week,” “Chanel No. 5,” “exes rest in peace”). The blend of personal imagery and universal slogans offers a model for making self-empowerment feel specific.

The arrangement succeeds in restraint: synths don’t compete with vocals; they frame them. Consider how the drop doesn’t just add volume, it adds conversation. This is a pop production of a dialogue between the topline and the track.

“Lovin Myself“ is not revolutionary, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s confident, cohesive, and finely engineered to deliver emotional clarity with rhythmic punch. Ava Max reminds us: loving yourself doesn’t mean shouting; it means phrasing breaths like you mean it.